Picture-hanger.



A. GREEN.

PICTURE HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED JULYIO. 1911 Patented July 16, 1918.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY d4. Green BY WITNESSES .AZARIA GREEN, OF ST. PAUL, MTNN ESOTA.

PICTUREJ-IANGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AZARIA GREEN, a citizen of the United States,'residing at St. Paul, in the county' of Ramsey and State of lviinnesota, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Picture-Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to picture hangers and it has for its object to produce a device of simple and improved construction whereby one person may conveniently, and with out the use of a stepladder or the like, place a hook on a picture rail and subsequently hang the picture on such hook.

A further object of the: invention is to produce a simple and improved :device of the class described comprising a handle, clamping jaws connected therewith, and means for retaining said jaws in clamping position to securely hold a'hook while such hook is being placed in position, after which the clamping jaws'will'be manipulated to release such hook; Y I r A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction-and arrangement of the parts constituting the improved device. s

WVith these and other end in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications Within the scope of the claim may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device showing the same clamped on a hook for the purpose of placing the latter in position, showing also a ortion of a picture rail on which the hook 1s to be placed.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device showing the clamping jaws in open position and showing the wire of a picture arranged in positionfor hanging. V

Fig. 3. is a sect-'onal detail view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail top plan view of the clamping jaws.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 16, 191 8.

Application'filed July 10, 1917. SeriaINo. 179,762. I

Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating a modification. 7

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are denoted by like charactersof reference.

Aclamping jaw 15of suhstantially semr circular shape is provided at one end with azsocket 16 whereby it is mounted on a handle 17. A second jaw 18 extend through a slot 19 in the lower portion of thejaw 15, said second jaw being pivotally mounted on a pivot member 20.- The jaw 18 which, like its mate, is of substantially semi-circular shape, is provided with adownwardly extending arm 21 with which is connected one endfof a flexible operating element such as a cord 22. The meeting ends of the jaws 15,18 are provided with flanges or projections 15, 18 adjacent to the lower edges thereofand with other flanges or projec tions 15, 18 adjacent to opposite side edges thereof, said'fianges or projections 15, 18, 15*, and 18 cooperating to form a seat or socket whereby a'picture hook, indicated at 23, may be held securely in position when the jawsare closed thereon without danger orj possibility of such hook beingdisp'laced either forwardly, rearwardly or downwardly while it is being adjusted in position on a picture rail. At'the same time itis-obvious that after the picture hook has been placed in position on the rail, the flanges which form the seat or socket will not prevent the tool from being disengaged from the picture hook by simply moving the same in a downward direction. Slidably mounted on the pole 17 is a sleeve or collar 24 having a set screw 25 whereby it may be secured in position at various adjustments, the lower end of the cord 22 being suitably connected with said set screw as by means of a small ring or link 26 in which the set screw swivels. Such link, however, may obviously be omitted, and the cord may be simply provided with a loop or eye directly engaging the set screw.

The jaws 15 and 18 are provided with hook members 27 28, said hook members being secured or formed on the jaws in such a manner as to be in approximately horizontal alinement when the jaw 18 is open, as seen in. Fig. 2. The hooks 27, 28 will then be spaced apart, enabling a picture wire 29 to be supported thereon, and enabling the operator to readily lift the picture and to place the wire in engagement with the hook which has been previously placed in position. By this construction it is obviously possible to place the picture wire 29 in engagement with the hooks 27, 28 while the clamping jaws are utilized for clamping the picture hook 23, thus enabling.

the picture to be lifted with the picture hook when the latter is placed in position on the picture rail. After the hook has been engaged by the rail it is then only necessary to release the clamping jaws and the picture wiremay then be engaged with the hook without further preparation.

When the device is utilizedfor placing a picture hook in position, the collar 24: is moved downward on the pole, tensioning the cord 22 and pulling on the arm 21 which will thus retain the jaw 15 in closedposislack and enabling the hooks 27, 28 to be .utilized for. engaging the picture .wire

while the picture is being hung.

By the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing, the slidable tensioning collar 24 is dispensed with. In place thereof'a screw or stud 30 is connected directly with the handle '17, and the flexible elementhere designated by 22 is provided with 'a tensioning spring 31. The'parts of course are to be so arranged and proportioned that when the eye or loop 26 of the flexible element '22 is placed in engagement with the stud 30, the spring 31 will be tensioned sufficiently to hold the clamping jaws shut upon the picture hook. When the eye or loop'26 is disengaged from the stud 30, the movable jaw will gravitationally swing to an open position in the manner previously described. 1. x 1 z I By this simple device it will be seen that a person, without assistance, may place the hook and hang the picture provided that the latter is not too heavy for one person to handle. The hooks 27 28 are so positioned on the device that the jaws will not obstruct access to the hook when the 'Wire isplaced in engagement therewith, as will be clearly seen by reference to Fig.2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is i "In a picture hanger, apole, a stationary jaw having a socket mounted on saidpole, said stationary jaw having a-transverse slot above and adjacent to the socket, a movable jaw extending through the slot and connected pivotally with the stationary jaw, said movable having a downwardly extending arm, said jaws being provided at their meeting ends withfianges or projections adjacent to the lower edges thereof and with other flanges or projections adjacent to opposite side edges thereof, said flanges or projections cooperating to form a seat or socket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. Y AZARIA GREEN.

(topics ofwthis-patent may be obtained for ifive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0." r v 

